Analysis of Strontium Addition on Al-Si-MG Aluminum Alloys

Abstract

The use of metal based materials has high potentials following the development of the automotive industry. It follows the increase of demand in automotive vehicles, machine components, and many more. Aluminum is a type of metal that is of interest in the industry. The lightweight aluminum properties and corrosion resistance make aluminum widely used in various industries. Al-Si-Mg alloy is one alloy that is able to increase the strength of aluminium. The purpose of this study is to understand the addition of strontium modifiers and the expected improvement of mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg alloys. The addition of strontium, in general, is able to change the shape of eutectic silicon particles from the form of acicular particles into finer shapes. The results showed that the addition of strontium modifiers in Al-SiMg alloys was able to increase tensile strength and hardness. The results of the observation of the microstructure were found to change the shape of eutectic silicon particles with the addition of a strontium modifier. The addition of strontium found the micro-change of eutectic acicular silicon structure to fibrous in the Al-Si-Mg alloy.